McPherson-type strut assemblies supporting the front wheels on front wheel drive assemblies include lower end steering knuckles from which the front wheel hubs and rotors (if provided) are journalled by bearings pressed into bearing seats formed in the steering knuckles. If it becomes necessary to replace the wheel bearings, the hub, or to refinish or replace the rotor, it is necessary to force the bearings from their seats in order to remove the hub. Inasmuch as these bearings are initially pressed into place, their removal can be difficult, especially if the knuckle, bearing and hub assembly have been assembled for sometime.
One method of bearing removal involves the use of a slide-hammer with a bearing adapter fitted thereto, but manual forces exerted by slide-hammers is considered minimal when performing such a bearing removal operation. Accordingly, and especially since McPherson-type strut assemblies may be reasonably quickly removed from an associated vehicle after the vehicle has been jacked up and the wheel has been removed, a more effective way of removing the subject bearings is through the use of a hydraulic or mechanical press. However, because of the unusual physical characteristics of a McPherson-type strut assembly, it is difficult to non-yieldingly support such a strut assembly in proper position for actuation thereon by the ram of a press. Accordingly, a need exists for a strut assembly supporting jig which may be used in conjunction with a press, whether the press is vertically disposed or horizontally disposed.
Examples of various forms of supporting jigs including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,440,820, 3,048,387, 3,306,601, 4,123,038 and 4,234,174.